From June 3-5, Chamber of Commerce CEOs, executive directors and managers came from all corners of the province to gather at the Chamber of Commerce Executives of BC (CCEBC) Conference in Fort St. John. Dovetailing with the BC Chamber of Commerce’s Conference, this annual gathering rotates around the province and will be held in Richmond in 2027.

You may not know that there is an active network of chamber executives who support one another every day of the year. The annual conference gives us a chance to learn from one another all in one place, to share experiences, welcome new executives, and connect. “Rob and duplicate” is our shared and encouraged language. Our 2026 conference sessions included board governance best practices, supporting communities in crisis with input from Tumbler Ridge, West Kelowna and Richmond, and presentations on revenue generation. Among other things, this included the creation of a pop-up shop program in Kitimat, an “Artnership” with a community arts council in Prince George, and co-working and events space options in both Comox and Creston.

A number of us stayed on for a circle tour of the region on June 6. We journeyed from Fort St. John through Hudson’s Hope to the Saulteau First Nation Cultural Centre, and onward with stops in Chetwynd, Tumbler Ridge, Dawson Creek and at the historic Kiskatinaw Bridge. There is too much content to put in a few lines, but we all came back with a greater appreciation of what this area of the province provides to the rest of BC, and the transportation, communication and health care challenges that they contend with on a daily basis. Thank you to sponsors EDF, Innergex, and Vitreo Minerals for making this tour possible!

And great thanks must also go to Solinas and Associates and Johnston Group for funding multiple bursaries for chamber executives to travel to the 2026 Conference. I was the fortunate recipient of one of these, and the opportunity to gather at this conference is priceless. Thank you!
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To find out more about CCEBC, go to chamberexecutivesbc.ca

The Easiest Member Benefit!
Want to help more people in our community discover your business? Tag the WestShore Chamber of Commerce in your Facebook and Instagram posts, and we may share them with our 2,000+ followers.
Tag @westshore.chamberofcommerce on Facebook and @westshorechamber on Instagram.

Why tag us?
It’s an easy way to share what you do, reach more local people, and strengthen connections across our business community.
We’d love to help celebrate your work—tag us in your next post and share this with your marketing team too.

Social Media Pro Tips
Looking for fresh ways to connect with your audience? Here are a few practical tips from Brittney Ashley of Creative Dynamics Virtual Services.

• Repurpose, Don't Repeat. Take one strong piece of content and adapt it for each platform so the message stays consistent but feels native everywhere. A blog post can become a LinkedIn insight, an Instagram carousel, and a short Facebook update. Same idea, different delivery, so it reaches more people without sounding repetitive. To make this easier, use a social media management tool to plan, schedule, and reuse content without the manual chaos. Platforms like Buffer can help you organize and manage multiple channels in one place.
  
  
• Write Captions That Start Conversations. Follow this simple formula: hook people with a question or bold statement, share one useful tip or insight, then end with a call to action ("Drop an emoticon if you've been there" or "Save this for later"). People engage with posts that speak with them, not at them.
  
  
• Community Over Content Volume. Stop posting every day just to stay visible. Right now, posting less with more purpose works better. One meaningful post that sparks a real conversation will beat five forgettable ones. Focus on building a community, not just a follower count.
  
  
• AI Can Help — But It's Not a Replacement. AI is great for brainstorming, drafting, and creating quick graphics. But it can't spot trending audio, react to a viral moment, or know what's buzzing in your industry right now. Trends move fast. You still need a real person who understands social media to keep your content timely and relevant. Use AI to speed things up, but keep a human at the center of your brand.
  
  
• AI Makes It Affordable, But You Still Need a Pro Behind the Wheel. AI has made social media more accessible than ever. You can generate captions, design graphics, and schedule posts at little to no cost. That's a huge win. But AI still doesn't know your brand voice, your audience, or what's trending in your industry this week. It can't build real relationships with your followers or adjust your strategy when something isn't working. Use AI with intention and keep a human in the loop. Think of AI as the assistant and a social media manager as the driver. Whether that's a freelancer, agency, or in-house pro, strategy, trend awareness, and community building are what turn random posts into real results. And because AI handles the heavy lifting, professional support is often more affordable than ever.
  
  

​What do you want to learn about your membership?
Is there a membership topic you’d love to learn more about? I’d be glad to hear your ideas. You can also sign up for our next Membership Matters session on July 7.

The Westshore Chamber of Commerce is proud to introduce our dedicated team of Ambassadors! These individuals are passionate about connecting with members, fostering relationships, and ensuring everyone gets the most out of their Chamber membership. Get to know the friendly faces who represent our organization and are here to support your business success.

 
Linda Mackie
Linda Mackie Creative
Photographer, host of The Eloquent Entrepreneur and a former WestShore Chamber Director, Linda has been involved with the WestShore Chamber for nearly a decade. 
 
Philip Hulme
Wellness Regeneration
Has been an active WestShore Chamber of Commerce member for over three years.  He's also a Director at the Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce and is getting ready to launch a new cleaning company.
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Joyce Ingram
World Financial Group
Joyce is the newest addition to our ambassador team and has also been a WestShore Chamber of Commerce member for over three years.  A life insurance agent, broker, and financial educator, she's passionate about empowering families through financial literacy.

Facilitating connections is just one of our many benefits and services. While everyone benefits from being a part of a community, we understand that some members simply cannot make the time to attend our in-person events.  That shouldn't count you out from your networking benefits!  Therefore, we have recently enhanced our Chamber Ambassador program. Our Ambassadors are here to:

• Welcome new members and introduce them to the Chamber community.
• Connect members with relevant resources, opportunities and to other members.
• Promote Chamber events and initiatives.
• Gather feedback to improve the Chamber's services.
• Take part at Grand Openings and Community events!

We encourage you to reach out to our Chamber Ambassadors by clicking the links above! They're a valuable resource for navigating your membership and making the most of the Westshore Chamber of Commerce. Don't hesitate to connect and discover how they can support you.

Would you like to become a Chamber Ambassador? 
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Just call or email your WestShore Chamber of Commerce Membership Coordinator, Araceli Smart at (250) 478-1130 or [email protected] to learn more.

Members in good standing who have held a membership for a minimum of two years or who have been substantially engaged for one year are welcome to apply.  It's a great way to further engage with the WestShore Chamber community and grow your own network!

WESTSHORE – Throughout April, I have had the pleasure of representing the WestShore Chamber at a number of events out in the community. These have included a ribbon cutting of new business Carts West in Colwood, and new premises for Gaining Altitude Financial in View Royal. I joined a workshop co-hosted by Parks Canada and the City of Colwood about a National Urban Park, and watched new ground being broken for a new child care and community arts centre in Langford.

Each of these represent innovation in their own way, and what really drove the point home for me was attending the launch of REV at the John Horgan Campus on April 15th. Standing for “Relationships -Entrepreneurship – Ventures,” REV is a “community-based innovation and start-up hub…designed to support entrepreneurship, venture creation, and innovation in the West Shore.” During the opening, REV Associate Director Daniela Fischer spoke to her experience of moving to Canada from Brazil and trying to understand the concept she found here that innovation is somehow reserved for a select few. REV will actively dispel that perception. It is “grounded in the principle that innovation should be accessible to all, regardless of age, background, or stage of life and career.”

I couldn’t agree more. “REV will bring together students, faculty, businesses, and residents to help bridge the gap between ideas and action.” At the WestShore Chamber we look forward to supporting this, learning from it, and continuing to provide services that compliment, rather than compete with, up and coming programming.

To connect with REV, go to royalroads.ca. To find out the latest WestShore Chamber news, sign up to our e-news at westshore.bc.ca or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram.

As many are embarking on their annual Spring Clean, don't forget to add a review of your Member Portal to the check list!

It's important!
A lot can happen in your organization in one year.  Updates to services, relocations and expansions, branding, etc.  And we're popular.  Our directory generated 3,343,231 referrals in 2025!!!  So, you'll definitely want to ensure your member presence is up to date. 

Wait!  What Defines a "Referral"?
The moment a member listing is either displayed or interacted with, that data is compartmentalized as a referral.  Referrals are also the recommendations from the WestShore Chamber team to inquirers via phone, email, or other means of communication that we manually track in our system.

Updating your profile is simple. 
Listing details, contact changes, staff updates...it's all done in your Member Portal.  Here are videos to help walk you through it!

Updating Your Business Directory Listing or Updating Your Primary Relationships (Staff List)

While the process is simple, all changes need to be approved by our admin team first before they go live.  We're usually pretty quick with the turnaround, but we ask for 2-3 business days just in case it's an event heavy week!
Don't want to sit through a video?  We got you!  Here's a link to our Member Portal Guidebook.
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While the process is simple, all changes need to be approved by our admin team first before they go live.  We're usually pretty quick with the turnaround, but we ask for 2-3 business days just in case it's an event heavy week!
Don't want to sit through a video?  We got you!  Here's a link to our Member Portal Guidebook.

And finally, the EXTRA IMPORTANT part
We'll be using the content in our online directory when creating our 2026/27 Business Resource and Relocation Go2 Guide, which is distributed all over the WestShore, so you'll want to make sure your listing is up to date before May 1st.  All member company names, addresses, phone numbers and websites are listed in this publication by category as a member benefit, and advertising sales are on now until April 30th, 2026.

Royal Roads University (RRU), through its Career Learning and Development (CLD) unit, is leading a new project to build a robust and inclusive experiential learning ecosystem at the John Horgan Campus.
 
Developed in partnership with the Business + Higher Education Roundtable with support from the Government of Canada, this initiative brings together RRU, Camosun College, and the Justice Institute of British Columbia in partnership with the WestShore Chamber of Commerce. Focused on WestShore communities, the project strengthens work integrated learning (WIL) and employer engagement across the region.
 
A Community & Employer Engagement Liaison will connect local businesses, educators, and students to respond to labour market needs and align student learning with industry priorities and expand access to WIL opportunities.
 
We’re inviting WestShore Chamber members to get involved and make a tangible impact...for students, and for your business:

• Host a student: Offer an internship, co-op, or field practice opportunity and help students gain real world experience while benefiting from fresh perspectives.
• Propose a Project: Bring a business challenge or community initiative forward as an applied learning opportunity.
• Join a Roundtable or Panel: Share your expertise, connect with emerging talent, and engage in meaningful conversations shaping your industry.
• Share Your Feedback: Help us identify skills gaps and collaboration opportunities that will strengthen your industry’s future.

 
Interested members are invited to connect directly with the RRU Career Learning and Development team at [email protected]

In case you missed the November AGM or are joining us as a new member, we're pleased to introduce you to the WestShore Chamber Board of Directors for 2026, a mix of long-standing, medium-term, and brand new directors! If you are interested in finding out more about what being a director entails, you are welcome to reach out to our President Kelly Darwin at [email protected]. Especially because we're already planning for 2027!
 
As we map out 2026, we are always happy to hear from members about what matters to you about your Chamber! You can get in touch with directors directly or feel free to give Executive Director Julie Lawlor a call at 250-478-1130.
 
Thank you to Janelle Anderson, who served three years on the board from 2022-25! We are also grateful for the support of our Past President Mike Reilly, who served for an unprecedented 10 year full term from 2016-2025. We will be celebrating Mike in September - more details to follow!